Welcome to Penn State!
General information for staff can be found through the Penn State home page or through the Office of Human Resources. In addition, numerous information technology (IT) resources and services are available to you. In fact, there is so much to learn that it might be a bit overwhelming to a new person. That's why we created this guide. We hope it will give you an idea of what is available and how it might be useful to you. Your supervisor or administrative office can inform you about departmental resources that you should be aware of.
Access to services
For access to most information technology services at Penn State, you need to apply for a Penn State Access Account. See account services for information about services available through your account. You may also need access to administrative information systems. In addition, specialized accounts, permissions, keys, cards, and access codes may be provided by your department.
Administrative Computing
Administrative information systems are provided and supported by the Administrative Information Services (AIS). To use AIS systems, you must be an authorized user who has been granted the necessary security access permissions. Each College/Department has an assigned Access Security Representative (ASR). To request access privileges, contact the representative for your area. For additional information, see the Administrative Information Services (AIS) Web site.
Information about you
Penn State's and other phone directories are available on-line through the World Wide Web and other Internet services. Individuals who establish an affiliation with Penn State as a student or an employee are automatically entered into the directory database. See Directory Services for additional information such as what type of information is made public and how to request confidentiality.
Phone services
A variety of phone and paging services are available for your office and personal use.
Your computer
Your supervisor or the computer support staff in your department can advise you regarding computing resources you can use. You should be using a high-speed connection (rather than a modem) in your office. If you're interested in purchasing a computer for personal or departmental use, visit the Computer Store. You are eligible for a variety of software at no cost or at low educational prices. Before you connect to your local network and start using Internet services such as e-mail, make sure you have virus protection and the latest security updates installed on your computer. If you're not sure how to do this, check with your local computer support staff or contact the ITS Help Desk. Make sure you back up your important files; you can accomplish this conveniently and at a very reasonable cost with Tivoli Storage Manager (TSM) or by purchasing an external drive at the Computer Store. It's critical that you practice safe computing, for your own protection and to prevent the loss of your system and files. Once your computer is set up and secure, check out all the computing resources available to you.
Internet access
Your Guide to Information Technology @ Penn State explains how to get started in your office or at home. A collection of free Internet software can be downloaded for e-mail, file transfer, Web browsing, virus protection, and other purposes.
Computer labs
Windows, Macintosh, and UNIX computer labs are provided for general academic use, instruction, and research. A comprehensive suite of software is provided for a wide variety of tasks ranging from word processing to statistical analysis, with full access to Internet services. Help services are also provided in many labs.
Computer store
Faculty, staff, students, and departments can purchase computer systems, peripherals, and software from vendors such as Apple, IBM, Compaq, and Microsoft at an academic discount. Visit the Computer Store on the Web or at 12 Willard Building, University Park.
Faculty support
A number of organizations are available to help faculty integrate technology into teaching and learning; see teaching resource units. A variety of instructional tools can help faculty enhance the teaching and learning process. Faculty are invited to reserve classrooms equipped with multimedia technology. See the ITS faculty page for more information.
Help services
The AIS Support Center can assist you with system, application, and access issues pertaining to the use of Administrative Information Services. The Help Desk can help you with non-administrative system and computer use. A list of other specific ITS help sources is also available.
Learning opportunities
Services include hands-on training, lectures, Web-based training, and special events throughout the year.
Penn State Portal
The portal is your personalized view of University and Internet resources. Similar to My Netscape or My Yahoo!, the Penn State Portal lets you collect all of your favorite content in one place. An active Penn State Access Account and personal Web space is required.
Policies, guidelines, and laws
Individuals are expected to exercise responsible, ethical behavior when using the University's computers, information, networks or resources, and are expected to abide by University policies and local, state, and federal laws. For a quick summary of problem areas, see Use Technology Wisely.
Publishing
Publishing services include support for theses, dissertations, and book publishing. In addition, numerous Web publishing services and tools are available.
Software
Faculty, staff, and students are eligible for a variety of software at no cost or at low educational prices.
Student resources
Computer labs, computer help, a computer store, eLion, training, personal Web space, the Penn State Portal, and WebMail are just a few of the benefits available not only to students, but to faculty and staff as well. See the student site for additional information.
Web publishing
Many staff members contribute to Penn State's presence on the Web. Numerous Web services and resources are available to help in this endeavor. As a first step, see the basic instructions for getting started. You are invited to apply for personal Web Space; a Penn State Access Account is required.